2D 3D Visual Separation Traffic Icons
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flight crews face challenges in maintaining visual separation from target aircraft during approach procedures in poor visibility conditions, as existing systems do not provide simultaneous 2D and 3D visual cues on primary flight displays and head-up displays, limiting situational awareness.
Innovation Solution
A visualization assistance system that uses processors to display scaled traffic icons on synthetic vision systems, navigation displays, and horizontal situation indicators, allowing flight crews to select and designate traffic to follow, with visual cues such as size scaling, color changes, and range rings to maintain separation, and providing differential ground speed information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If CDTI is displayed only on navigation display (2D view), then the system complexity is reduced, but the flight crew's situational awareness is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines CDTI functionality with the PFD and HUD displays, merging the traffic information display with the primary flight display systems. This integration allows simultaneous presentation of both 2D navigation display information and 3D synthetic vision information on the same display devices, resolving the contradiction by providing comprehensive situational awareness without adding separate dedicated display systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a third dimension (vertical dimension) to the traditional 2D CDTI display by implementing 3D synthetic vision symbols on the PFD and HUD. This dimensional enhancement provides depth perception and spatial relationships that flat 2D displays cannot convey, improving situational awareness while utilizing existing display hardware.
2Loss of information
If simultaneous 2D and 3D CDTI display is implemented on PFD and HUD, then the flight crew's situational awareness is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the PFD and HUD displays multi-functional by enabling them to display both traditional flight instrument information and 3D CDTI synthetic vision symbols simultaneously. This universal approach allows a single display system to serve multiple purposes, providing enhanced situational awareness without requiring additional dedicated display devices for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic display characteristics where synthetic vision symbols on the PFD and HUD can change appearance based on traffic proximity and selection state. Symbols become more visually prominent when selected or when traffic is nearby, allowing the display system to adapt its information presentation dynamically based on flight conditions and crew needs.
3Loss of information
If multiple traffic icons are displayed on navigation display and PFD, then the information completeness is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different visual characteristics to different traffic icons based on their local context - specifically, icons change appearance based on proximity to the ownship and selection state. Nearby traffic or selected traffic displays more prominent visual features, allowing the flight crew to quickly identify which icons require attention without being overwhelmed by uniform visual presentation of all icons.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes color and visual prominence changes to encode traffic priority and selection state. When a traffic icon is selected or when traffic is nearby, the icon becomes more visually prominent through color or intensity changes, providing intuitive visual cues that help the flight crew rapidly detect and identify relevant traffic among multiple displayed icons.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
A system for providing visual cues to flight crew on multiple displays during an approach is provided. The system is configured to: position, on a synthetic vision system (SVS) and/or head-up display (HUD), one or more traffic icons each representative of a lead aircraft ahead of the ownship; designate a lead aircraft as traffic to follow (TTF) via selection of a first traffic icon representative of one lead aircraft displayed on a navigation display and via selection of a second traffic icon representative of the same lead aircraft displayed on the SVS, wherein selection of either the first traffic icon or the second traffic icon results in designation of the selected lead aircraft as TTF and results in both the first traffic icon and the second traffic icon to more visually stand out; and position, on a horizontal situation indicator, a third TTF icon representative of the lead aircraft when a TTF has been designated.